Lowering Cholesterol

[DollyBrit]

Hello,I have been told today that I need to try and lower my Cholesterol. My reading was 7.5 but not sure what else I can do to help. I have a pretty good diet (although the last couple of months i have slipped) run at least 3 times a week, walk the dog for an hour every day and do HIIT classes.

I have a strong family history of high cholesterol, stroke, high blood pressure which the Dr feels could be a factor. My Dr has advised me to try and reduce my cholesterol over the next 3 months and if it doesn't help I will have to take stating.

Any advice would be gratefully appreciated

Thank You

[Hidden]

They say that one of those Benecol drinks each day really does help to lower your cholesterol. Probably not worth using the vile margarine, though! And the obvious things for a healthy diet - loads of fruit and vegetables, fish maybe a couple of times a week, meat for a treat.... but I'm sure you know all that already. And if you do have to go on statins, it's not the end of the world, except that you can't have grapefruit!

[Batty1]

I have been reading lots about flaxseeds helping to lower cholesterol ….I will find out next month if it actually helps.

[Persevere99]

Hi

A vegan diet will lower your cholesterol for sure, as it contains no cholesterol.

My total and LDL are very low, which is good, please read my post for details.

However, HDL is also low, which is not good. I’ve tried many things to raise it, but have not been able to. I’ve read on the fora that this is a vegan thing, low HDL. Currently trying niacin flush.

All the best!

Persevere99

[16thlancer]

My reading last week was 7.5 and I want to avoid statins because of side effects and that I simply do not want to use more drugs. So one GP said I can take it for three months and with improvements stop. Another GP four months ago said that if I go on them it will be for life.

I had an increased measurement from four months ago. The confusion I have is that i have made effort to reduce the stats by nutrition and exercise.

Nov 2022 Feb 2023

Body fat % 28.4 to 25.7

BMI 29.2 to 28.6

Muscle mass (kg) 67.2 to 68.4

Visceral fat level 15 to 13.5

So I have made some effort and yet the reading in Nov was 7.

My parents were quite elderly when they had me, so a GP asking if they had High Cholesterol is a non starter, no figures or computations.

None of my family has died as a result of stroke or heart attacks.

So where to go and what advice can you give me. I have also been advised that the GPs get a bounty for each person on statins. My regime will continue to improve my measures but if when they improve my level of risk increases I am not sure what to believe.

[Rachmaninov2 in reply to 16thlancer]

My GP informed me today that my cholesterol level is 7.3 and she recommended that I start taking statins. The three medications I’m taking can potentially increase cholesterol, I’m concerned about any side effects I may get from taking statins which could then result in having to take another medication to deal with them.

[sandybrown in reply to Rachmaninov2]

Hello,

What are your lipid numbers?

Did your GP discuss the health check rick score and offer you any guide lines before statin?

Please look at life style change before medication!

[Rachmaninov2 in reply to sandybrown]

Hello sandybrown,

Thank you for responding.

My GP was reading me the results of a recent blood test, she told me that my cholesterol was high and that she wanted me to begin taking statins. I said I would rather not add another medication to what I am already taking.

I asked if she would print out my results for me but she forgot and I left without them. I am going to ring the surgery today and ask again.

No discussion was had about the health check rick score (this is the first I’ve heard of it) and no guide lines.

I had high cholesterol some years ago when I was reasonably healthy, I managed to lower it by making lifestyle changes. Now I am taking three medications all with potential to increase cholesterol which is what I told the GP in case she wasn’t aware.

I have to say, I did not feel happy with the way the appointment went.

[sandybrown in reply to Rachmaninov2]

There are two risk score calculators, QRISK and JBS3, a doctor can use all you medical parameters to determine the rick number 5 in 100 or 15 in 100 and offer you medical guide lines for you to control your blood numbers first and the medication. I worked on the Internet testing for JBS3.

Take care.

[Rachmaninov2 in reply to sandybrown]

Thank you for providing that information, I feel more confident now in discussing the situation with my GP.

[sandybrown in reply to Rachmaninov2]

Link to :

jbs3risk.com/ JBS three calculator

qrisk.org/three/ QRISK calculator.

Good luck, wrtie down all your questions and answers.

[Rachmaninov2 in reply to sandybrown]

Very kind of you.

Will do, although they aren’t keen on lists of any kind.

[Sleepyholllow]

hello DollyBrit,

i got the exact same diagnosis today !with the same numbers! snap! i too have a fairly good diet and am fairly, need to lose some weight, strong family history too, GP started me on a drug called ezetimibe 10 mg, apparently it's not a statin but some other type of cholesterol drug ( can't remember the type) i'm hoping it will work, he said the family history issue is difficult to get round, so wel see! hope you get some answers too .

[DollyBrit in reply to Sleepyholllow]

Hi, my dr has given me 3 months to try and improve my cholesterol but given my family history it may not work. I have been very strict the last 2 weeks but I think I have gone too far as I am fearful of any fats in my diet. I have lost 2lbs but I am starving. I feel overwhelmed with it all. My brother passed away last November from heart disease and 10 days later my best friend had a heart attack and passed away ( I was with her). This has really freaked me out. Need to calm down and sort myself out

[Sleepyholllow in reply to DollyBrit]

oh my goodness, that's a lot to deal with, fear is not a good place to be, as it really heightens anxiety which in turn (in my experience) makes things worse. I found my GP very sharp with me yesterday and really frightened me, that's why i came on here last night to read other peoples experience, he said he will repeat bloods on two months so i'm really going to try hard with diet and exercise, well done on the weight loss butyou shouldn't be starving, have some fruit or make a smoothie, i find that helpful, anxiety certainly doesn't help,

i am wary of these drugs because of the side effects, wish there was another way.

[DollyBrit in reply to Sleepyholllow]

I have a strong family history of Diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol. All of my tests came back normal apart from the cholesterol. My brother had Diabetes but didn't have a great diet or did any exercise which in turn lead him to have a quadruple bypass last August. My friend had a history of heart problems. My lifestyle is completely different so I am hoping things will improve for me. I really don't want to take statins(who does) but if I have to then so be it. Thankfully my GP has been great. Hope you manage to improve your cholesterol

[Sleepyholllow]

meant to say fairly active.

[Hardy2018]

How are you getting on? Have you tried controlling your anxiety with breathing? And nitric oxide? And meditation? Like you I have just been diagnosed with high cholesterol and am trying to lower it before my next 3 month check up 🤞

[Thingybob]

I am in the same boat. Not overweight, healthy diet and active etc etc. I tried the 3 months cutting down / out the foods high in sat fat. My reading didn't budge. My gp is very good, he explained that 80% of the cholesterol of whichever type is controlled by our individual make up , genes etc and only 20% is impacted/ controlled and is a result of diet. Your gp should do a risk analysis of your likelihood of experiencing a cardio vascular incident in the next 10 yrs , based on family history, present health conditions etc and base the offering of statins on that. If your risk is more than 10% then statins are offered as a precaution .

Hope this is helpful.🙂

[Rachmaninov2 in reply to Thingybob]

I was offered statins for high cholesterol which I declined, I had a heart attack six weeks ago and have been taking statins and other heart medications since then.

[DollyBrit in reply to Rachmaninov2]

Goodness, that's awful. You must have been terrified.

Hope you are well on your way to recovering. X

[Rachmaninov2 in reply to DollyBrit]

Still coming to terms with it to be honest, it feels like a bad dream.

Thank you for your good wishes DollyBrit.

[Thingybob in reply to Rachmaninov2]

I take statins now too .

[Rachmaninov2 in reply to Thingybob]

Sometimes choice is removed, we can only do what feels right at the time.

[DollyBrit in reply to Thingybob]

I have been trying really hard with my diet, cutting out as much saturated fat as I can.

My blood test is the 22nd of this month and will get my results on 1st June. I think that given my family history I will have to take statins, we shall see.

Wasn't happy about it but have since made peace with the fact that it will be for the best.

[Thingybob in reply to DollyBrit]

My gp explained that just like toothpaste helps prevent tooth decay, statins are a prevention. I was reluctant as most people are , as i already take a lot of meds for various reasons, but now take a daily statin